Forsyth County commissioners have officially signed off on funding for an ongoing gun violence prevention initiative.
The initiative, called Forsyth WINS, follows the Cure Violence model, which relies on “violence interrupters” to defuse conflicts in high-risk neighborhoods. It’s been active in Winston-Salem’s Cleveland Avenue area for more than two years.
A recent progress report found the neighborhood saw a statistically significant decline in violent crime compared to a similar community.
The program was initially funded by both the city of Winston-Salem and the county. But the city’s funding source recently ran out, leaving the county to pick up the tab — a shift commissioner Gloria Whisenhunt said she couldn’t support.
Commissioner Gray Wilson acknowledged her concerns but pointed to the progress report.
“It's quite compelling, I have to say, based on the extensive work they're doing," said Wilson. "There's some areas I would hope they would do more, but it looks like a very intelligent approach to this has been made.”
Board Chair Don Martin agreed, and commissioners ultimately voted to continue funding Forsyth WINS. Whisenhunt was the lone “no” vote.